


It Runs In The Family

by starlightelixir



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Hanahaki, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blake/Yang is more of a side thing but HEY, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Hanahaki AU, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Past Character Death, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-10-16 22:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20610290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightelixir/pseuds/starlightelixir
Summary: Ruby hid herself in the backroom, near one of the flower pots that was set to be put out for the day; she coughed and desperately tried to suck air in, but, for a moment, only found herself forcing rose petals out of her mouth.“Ruby? Are you alright?” A familiar voice called out to her.“I--I’m fine, just feeling kinda woozy.”“I’ll come and--”“No, I’m okay! I promise, Penny.”This… Was becoming a problem.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the first chapter of this sitting in my drafts for Awhile now, and I figured that I would do my best to write some more on it... So! Here it is.

“You look terrible!” Penny said, sitting across from Ruby in the breakroom of the small flower shop; Ruby knew she meant nothing hurtful by it, but the comment still stung.

“It’s just my allergies,” She murmured a lie, slowly laying her head on the table and groaning. She coughed quietly--and thankfully, this time, nothing came out. “I ran out of medicine for it; I’ll go to the pharmacy today.”

“That’s… What you said last week. We should go to the pharmacy together after the shop closes tonight.” Penny tilted her head slightly, watching the other closely. “The one you go to is always open, right?”

“Nono, really! It’s okay, it’s okay…” Ruby quickly pulled herself back up, hurriedly trying to reassure Penny that everything was fine. “I can go myself, or have my sister go with me. You don’t have to worry about me!”

Penny squinted, doubting the other--she leaned over the table, staring directly at Ruby’s pale, still slightly dampened from sweat, face.

Ruby held her breath for a second; every freckle on Penny’s face, combined with the way her vibrant, green eyes glittered with concern and care--she wasn’t smiling, but Ruby had to force herself to look away and lay her head back on the table. “It’s okay, I promise, Penny--I’ll see a doctor about it soon. Okay?”

“I thought you just needed to go to the pharmacy…?” Penny hesitated, before settling, nodding and accepting Ruby’s proposal. “Okay. As long as you promise.” Penny extended her hand, her pinky held out to Ruby; of course, Ruby, with a tired but certain smile, linked her own pinky with the other’s.

“Like I said--I promise, I’ll get to the doctor as soon as I can.”

Penny, at that, had accepted that Ruby would be fine--and she left Ruby with a chilled bottle of water before slipping back to the front of the shop.

Ruby, however, upon being left alone, threw her head back and groaned. She slunk back into her chair, slouching and holding her hands over her eyes, thinking to herself:  _ what’s wrong with me? Why am I coughing up flowers? _

The truth was, she knew exactly why. She didn’t have to ask the empty room, she just had to ask herself.

Hanahaki was a rather rare disease, whoever is plagued by it coughs up flower petals when met with an unrequited love, or what the sufferer perceives as unrequited. It’s proven to be fatal, especially in those who are more stubborn. It's generally a hereditary condition.

Unfortunately, Summer Rose had passed it on to Ruby--and Ruby knew this.

_ If I see a doctor about this… _ Ruby slowly bunched a hand in her hair, running it through it repeatedly. They’ll tell me to have surgery.  _ To take it out. _

\-- _ But… _

She thought about Penny’s face, smiling, her laugh, her voice, the way she carried herself--how awkward yet so sweet, and how adorable she was--

And she choked her feelings back once more, now coughing up petals into her hand.

  
_I don’t want to let go of these feelings._


	2. Chapter 2

“I’ll see you later, Ruby!” Penny called out, giving the other one final wave before she made her way down the decently-lit sidewalk.

Ruby smiled softly, palely as she watched her go--her gaze lingered on Penny’s back for just a moment, before she drew her attention back to the front door of the shop. She gave it a sturdy push--just to double-check if she had actually locked it--and, once she had decided that it was locked, slipped her keys into the side pocket of her backpack.

“Okay, good. No windows are left opened, no doors unlocked, okay…” She whispered to herself, peeking around the side of the building. Reassured that she had thoroughly locked up shop, she turned away, and breathed a heavy sigh into the night.  _ Should I call dad? Maybe he can tell me something… _ She considered; she tossed the idea between telling him and not--telling him might give her answers, but it also might cause him to panic.  _ Maybe Uncle Qrow?  _ She knew that both of them would withhold information, though, Qrow was more likely to let something slip… _ If I bring it up to dad, he might also just...Get super depressed again. _

“Ugh,” She hissed, burying her face in her hands. “It’s just all too much!”

_ Yang. _ Yang might have a clue. Yang remembered their mom more than she did, and she was more open than Qrow and Taiyang were.

“Okay, okay, so, when I get home, I’ll just talk to her, and…” Ruby’s phone, dangling at her neck from a lanyard, buzzed softly, and lit up the fabric of her shirt. “Huh?”

She pulled it up, holding it diligently in both of her hands as she stopped walking along the sidewalk to read the message.

_ Ruby! I was just messaging to remind you to call for a doctors appointment in the morning (: If you would like, I can go with you for support! _

She couldn’t help but smile--a message from Penny. Nothing too personal, just… A friendly reminder, and an offer.

It made Ruby’s heart flutter--just a little, not that much--but it was just enough to trigger one of Ruby’s coughing fits.

“Oh, god,” Ruby groaned, holding a hand to her mouth. Naturally, the scent, taste, and texture of rose petals followed the initial choking hazard. She briskly shook them from her hand, spitting the last few out on her own.

“This really is a problem, huh?” She whispered hoarsely to herself. “It’s fine,” Her voice picked up a bit more once she realized the nightmare, as brief as it was, was finally over. “It’s fine, I’ll be okay, everything is  _ fine _ .” She tried to console and reassure herself, though her words were empty. She started to whisper again. “I think I’m gonna get sick.”

“Sis, hey--” Yang jolted upright on the couch once the door opened. She quickly got up, making her way over to the door, only to freeze a few feet away from Ruby. “Holy shit, you look like the walking dead.”

“Feel like it, too.” Ruby murmured, regretting her decision to stray off of her normal path and into the park--to be fair, there were plenty of trash cans to throw up in there, but that was, in retrospect, a terrible place to throw up in.

Maybe it was better than a grody up-all-night gas station bathroom, maybe it wasn’t--either way, it was gross, and it made her feel m _ uch  _ more ill than she had initially been.

“Geez--Blake went to bed early, and dinner’s kinda cold, plus you kind of look like anything heavy might make you even more sick--let me fix you some soup and toast, alright?” Yang gave her sister a gentle pat on the shoulder, her touch warm, lingering, and caring. “Maybe you should take tomorrow off, I can head to the shop and open?”

“You hate working there. Plus, what about your job?”

“I’m off tomorrow, don’t worry about it. Even if I wasn’t, I would still stay home to keep an eye on you.” She gave Ruby’s hair a gentle ruffle before turning and slipping into the kitchen, leaving Ruby alone in the still-open doorway.

It didn’t take Ruby long to make her own way to the kitchen, kicking her shoes off at the archway into the other room. “Hey, Yang?” She kept her voice a little low, her gaze averted as the other stood in front of the stove.

Yang didn’t respond fully, she only made a soft “Mm?” of acknowledgement, encouraging Ruby to continue.

“Can I ask you something? It’s… Sorta heavy.”

“Hit me, c’mon. I’ll listen to anything you’ve got, sis.”

Ruby hesitated, now focusing her eyes on the other, watching her stir at a steady pace--it felt like it was ages before she could force the lump down her throat and speak again. “How’d mom die, again? I don’t think anyone ever told me. I know she had hanahaki, but…” Ruby trailed off as she watched Yang’s reaction--Yang froze briefly, one of her hands had a grip on the oven bar, and she squeezed it tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.

“Oh, uh,” Yang started after a moment of thought. “Ruby, why?”

Ruby stayed quiet, shuffling by the table uncomfortably. Awkwardly. She fidgeted, rubbing her arms, wringing her hands, hoping that maybe--maybe Yang would drop it.

Of course, she wouldn’t. “Ruby, wait--why are you asking? Seriously, what are you trying to say with that?”

“I think I might. Have a  _ problem _ ?” Ruby said, her voice squeaking as she finished her sentence.

With a click, the stove was off, and Yang had closed the distance between the two of them, looking directly into Ruby’s eyes. “We’re going to the doctor in the morning. Alright? I’ll ask Blake to open the shop for you, and--”

“I don’t want to go to the doctor, though!” Ruby raised her voice--she worried for a moment that, maybe she was too loud, maybe she would accidentally wake Blake--but at this point, her volume control was shot. “I know what they’re going to tell me, I know--”

Yang, keeping her voice stern, yet soft, interrupted. “It killed mom--when my mom ran off, our mom’s hanahaki showed itself, and it hit her hard, and it only kept getting worse. Ruby, we need--”

“I know, I know, but I don’t  _ want  _ to--what if. What if she loves me, too?” Ruby’s own voice softened at the end.

She wanted to cling to that hope, the hope that maybe the feeling was mutual, or could be mutual with time.

Yang could only pull the other closer, into a tight hug, and try her damn best not to cry. Ruby was already crying--Yang could feel her shivering, her breath hitching.

“Just awhile.” Yang spoke up again after a few minutes of holding her sister. “Just… We can’t put it off for too long, alright? Seriously, Ruby, I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t, I promise…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have Chapter 3 mostly done, but I'm gonna hold off on posting it until I get decently through Chapter 4, I think... I'm not too terribly sure how long this is gonna be, aha? But hey! I hope you've enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby awoke with a groan, her hair messier than usual, due to having slept after showering; her phone was on charge next to her, and while her first instinct was to reach up and take it, she chose to ignore it, letting it ring indefinitely until the alarm stopped.

_ I feel like death… _ She thought to herself, pulling her blankets around her even more tightly. Despite the summer heat, she wasn’t about to sleep without her five blankets--it was only thanks to the air conditioner, keeping their home nice and chilly, that she could actually sleep comfortably.

Her first alarm  _ finally  _ stopped, letting her drift back into sleep.

It was only a ten-minute walk to the shop with her normal route, so why  _ not _ sleep in? She had three more alarms. It would be fine. She was never late, she only missed work in cases of emergency--and plus, Penny wouldn’t be there until at least thirty minutes after Ruby opened the shop… So, really, why  _ not _ rest, just for a few minutes?

She stirred slightly to a quiet rustling in her room, someone unzipping and rezipping compartments; she thought nothing of it, maybe Yang or Blake just needed to borrow something from one of her bags, and continued to lay in a half-asleep state, not bothering to open her eyes.

It was only when her phone received an actual  _ call _ , the opening from one of her favorite games playing loudly next to her head, right next to her  _ ear _ , did she jolt up, a string of incomprehensible noise escaping her mouth as she did. “... Huh? Wait--what time is it?”

Her first priority was not the call, but the time--she roughly pulled her phone off its charger and stared at the time.

12:17 PM. The shop opened at 9:00 AM.

_ Oh, god. I’m so late, I left her there without even keys to get in, I-- _ She thought to herself--now, only now, was when she processed that her phone was still ringing, vibrating, in her hands. She finally registered who it was that was calling her.

Penny.

She took a few deep breaths--thank goodness, nothing was welling up in her throat this time--and slowly swiped before the phone sent her to voicemail. “H-hey, Penny! Geez, sorry that I didn’t show up, I--”

“Oh, Ruby! I’m so glad you answered, your sister came to open the store for me, and I was worried!” 

Relief. Penny sounded… Relieved. Happy, even.

“She said that you weren’t feeling well, and that you slept in--were you able to get rest?”

“I,” Ruby hesitated, her mind a flurry. “Yeah--psh, you shouldn’t worry about me, c’monnn.” She snorted a bit, holding her phone between her shoulder and her ear as she pressed her free hand to her forehead.

“She looked very stressed, though! I think I have every right to worry…”

“I swear, I’m fine! You can see for yourself here in a bit, okay? I’ll be right there!”

“But if you’re still not feeling well, you should stay home and rest, shouldn’t you?” Penny’s voice faltered with concern--Ruby could clearly see the worried frown on the other end of the phone in her mind’s eye.

“Well, yeah, but--”

“No buts! You should stay home and rest. I’ll make sure everything is alright here--oh! And Yang will, too, of course!”

Ruby pulled the phone away with a quiet groan--her gentle optimism and kindness was  _ really _ melting her heart here.

But she had to keep it together. At least, she had to keep it together long enough to end the call.

Worrying Penny with one of her ‘coughing fits’ was the last thing she wanted to do.

So, she put on a smile, and did her best to power through. “I’ll be there tomorrow, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll be  _ totally _ better.”

“I can’t wait for you to be back!” Penny said brightly. “Oh, but you never answered… Was… It too pushy for me to suggest that I go to the doctor with you?”

It hit Ruby that she never responded to Penny: she left her on read.

“Oh--” Ruby felt her stomach shift from stress. She felt awful for it, she really did, but this was something minor, this wasn’t that bad. “No, no, just… I was super distracted, y’know?” She laughed anxiously, now rubbing the back of her head. The knot in her stomach hadn’t let up yet. “I kinda got really sick on the way home? So, I’m really sorry I didn’t text you back sooner, or let you know I made it home safely…”

A sigh of relief came from the other end. “I was just glad when your sister showed up and told me that you were home safe! I truly am sorry if I crossed a line, though.”

“You didn’t, I promise. I…” Ruby trailed off, thinking between her options--if she asked Penny to accompany her, then… Penny might overhear the doctor talk about  _ it _ . Ruby wasn’t ready for her to know about that, Ruby didn’t want her to know about her condition--but if she rejected, she was worried that Penny would feel distant, or like she really  _ had  _ overstepped a boundary.

And she hadn’t, Penny definitely hadn’t--Ruby would offer to go to the doctor with Penny any day, she was happy that Penny did offer. But god, she wished that it had been for something normal, something like a really bad cold, or strep throat--literally  _ anything  _ but--

“Ruby?”

“Oh, sorry, I was trying to say…” Ruby took a deep breath. “You can come with me to the doctor? I’ll let you know when the appointment is. I’ll try to set it up on a Friday, okay? Yang and Blake can keep an eye on the shop, everything will be--”

“But. I’m not worried about the shop. Or the appointment getting in the way of work. I’m worried about you.”

“But I’m fine, really,”  _ No, I’m not. _ “It’s just my allergies, or something?”

Penny remained silent for a moment, and in that brief period of time, Ruby was terrified that Penny had caught her in the lie, or maybe Yang had told her something, or maybe she found some of the flower petals, or--

“Alright, I believe you. Let’s go to the doctor  _ this  _ Friday?”

_ This  _ Friday. It was  _ only  _ Tuesday… But  _ this  _ Friday felt too soon for Ruby.

_ But… If that’s what eases Penny’s mind,  _ “I’ll call them in a few, ‘kay? Then I’ll text you with the time...”

“Thank you!” Penny responded with her usual cheer. “I’ll see you again tomorrow, Ruby. Until then, I’ll miss you very much, but your sister and I will keep everything together!”

_ She’ll miss me? _

Ruby’s heart fluttered again.

“I’ll talk to you l-later,” Ruby felt herself getting choked up again, she pushed it down as much as she could, but felt relief wash over her when Penny said her own goodbye.

Unfortunately, that relief didn’t last long--shortly after, Ruby coughed up more petals.

After she made the call to schedule her much-dreaded doctor’s appointment--and deciding that she would ask Penny to sit in the waiting room during the appointment--she spent the rest of the day, laid back in bed, occasionally exchanging texts with Penny, Yang, and Weiss until she dozed off once again, holding her phone or one of her handheld games close.

She only truly, fully woke up when she heard her door creak--it was a soft sound, clearly an attempt at being undisruptive was made, and yet, despite those efforts, it still caused Ruby to stir.

“Blake…?” She said softly, sitting up as she rubbed at her eyes. “Why are you here?”

“I have the day off, and Yang asked me to check in on you every so often.” Blake offered a small, kind smile, standing in the doorway. “Do you want me to get you anything? The tea I made just finished steeping, so--”

“Please?”

Blake nodded curtly, slipping back out of the room as quietly as she had tried to come in--with the door creaking shut behind her.

Ruby hadn’t expected Blake to be home--had she known, she probably would have spent time with her, rather than curled up in bed.

_ I wonder if Yang told her anything…  _ It only made sense, to Ruby, that Yang would confide in Blake--especially whenever the topic hit so close to home.

“Well, better late than never.” Ruby said to herself, swinging her legs off of the side of the bed and slowly standing up. She stretched her arms above her head, popping her back and shoulders in the process. “Oof, oh, geez, wow, okay--” She twisted herself a few times and stretched her legs, trying to regain comfort in her own body. “Why did I stay in bed all day, why didn’t I get up even once…” She whined to herself. It seemed like, no matter how much she moved and stretched, she just couldn’t reconfigure herself. She still had a crick in her neck, her arm ached from the way she laid on it, hell, her left foot was asleep--she wasn’t about to see  _ any  _ physical peace in the next few minutes.

After finally shaking and stretching away all of the discomfort that had welled up in her body, she sighed to herself one last time, unplugged her phone, and made her way downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 3+4 get uploaded together, bc I felt like it made A Lot of sense that way...
> 
> Chapter 4 is mostly Ruby and Blake spending a little bit of time together.


	4. Chapter 4

Blake raised herself from the table when she saw Ruby step into the doorway, she smiled a bit--a comforting smile, as small as it was, but it was there, and it was caring.

“I’ll get you a--”

“Nope, it’s fine, I got it!” Ruby responded with a smile of her own, slipping past Blake and getting herself a mug-- _ her _ mug, the one that she  _ always  _ used--from the dish strainer.

Little things like that were comforting. Familiarity.

She rejoined Blake at the table, sitting across from her and holding her face close to the cup, both hands wrapped around it, just soaking up its warmth.

Despite the heat, the two regularly talked over hot cocoa and tea, coffee and tea, or just… Tea. Hot drinks were practically a staple of their day together, sometimes with Yang, sometimes without her.

“While you were asleep earlier, I went ahead to the bookstore--they had that book that you’ve been wanting?”

Ruby lit up at the mention of it. “Oh sh--seriously?” She held her hands out, clenching and unclenching her fists, desperate to hold the book in them.

Blake couldn’t help but laugh a little at the other, her childlike and vigorous enthusiasm was always refreshing. “Alright, alright, here.” She reached down into the bag at her feet and pulled out a comic book, passing it along to Ruby.

Ruby squealed as soon as her hands touched the hardback cover--hardback, not the paperback.  _ Blake really went all out,  _ she thought to herself, running her hands along the holographic design on the cover.  _ She didn’t have to… _

“At least let me pay you back--”

“You don’t have to? It’s a gift.”

Ruby lit up--and if there wasn’t a table separating the two of them, she would have leapt at Blake and thrown her arms around her in a tight hug. “What?? Seriously--are you sure??” Blake gave a small nod in response, watching the other look between her and the book furiously. “Really?? Thanks!!!”

“It’s nothing, really--you’re family, and I love you.”

Ruby, rather delicately, opened the book and started to flip between the pages. “I mean, we’re gonna be. You and Yang have been engaged for how long?” She snorted. “I hope you love me… I love you, too.” She looked up and grinned. “Y’know, this is the comic to the book you’re reading, right? So… If you ever wanna borrow--”

“I read it before you woke up--it’s just as heart wrenching as the novel, I promise.”

“You look awfully happy for someone who just finished reading something ‘heart wrenching’...” Ruby squinted, skepticism causing her brow to furrow.

“It was this morning? Shortly after Yang left.”

Ruby hesitated, processing just how long she had been asleep--it was seven in the evening now.  _ Seven _ . This  _ morning _ ? “Oh… Oh, wow, I was really out of it, huh…” Ruby murmured, moreso to herself, rather than Blake. She stopped looking at the black and white images on the page, and smiled at Blake again. “Thanks again, really.”

“You’re welcome--I actually kinda thought that it might help you feel better.” Blake offered a soft, small smile in return. “Yang mentioned that you weren’t feeling well…”

_ Ah. Of course she did. _ “Aha, really? I’m fine, I promise.”

Blake hesitated--she opened her mouth, as if to counter Ruby’s reassurance, but… She stopped. She stopped and nodded, her smile wavering ever-so-slightly. “Alright. But… If there’s ever anything I can do, tell me? Really.” She reached out, gently putting a hand on Ruby’s arm. “I’m here for you, and so is Yang.”

Ruby could only smile a bit and nod in return. “Thanks, Blake.”

They sat in the peaceful silence for awhile, the occasional sound of a page being turned, or a cup gently landing on the hardwood table being the only real noises that filled the room--with the exception being the cicadas screaming outside. Occasionally, one would read an amusing quote or scene out to the other, or one (it was almost always Ruby) would sniffle, and start to cry quietly.

A girl who had fallen in love, but had an incurable disease, and an uncertain amount of time before she died?

It hit a little too close to home.

Unfortunately for the girl in the book, the story started on her death.

_ It makes me a little nervous… _ Ruby thought, no longer paying attention to the panels or the dialogue.  _ If Penny loves me, then it won’t be a problem anymore… Unless something happens to her… If I lost her, even if she  _ didn’t _ love me like I love her, I-- _

Ruby coughed violently, her book clattering onto the table and nearly--just nearly--knocking over her cup.

“Ruby?” Blake stood, one hand on the table, guiding her to Ruby’s side. She watched Ruby, hacking, struggling, and trying to cough something up, and moved to the fridge to get her a bottle of water. “Here--here…” She had opened it for her, and gently thrust it towards her hands, urging her to drink.

Ruby, however, shook her head, refusing the water in favor of keeping her hands clasped over her mouth. She pulled back briefly, allowing a few of the petals to fall into her lap. “ _ Bweh... _ ” She coughed a few more times, the flow of petals slowing each time.

Blake could only rub the other’s back with her free hand and watch, bug-eyed, in pale-faced horror. A soft, audible ‘Oh’ escaped her lips once she had processed just what was tearing Ruby apart so much.

“Ruby, you…”

“Yeah, it.  _ Yeah… _ ” Ruby slowly, carefully moved the book and her mug out of her path, so that she could fold her arms on the table and bury her face in them as Blake still provided as much comfort as she could. Her voice cracked, and she struggled to keep forcing it out, but nonetheless, she spoke. “It’s Penny. I. Thought about losing her. And then I… Yeah.”

She ignored the anxiety, the theoretical, but still, in the moment, very real heartbreak that had welled from her chest and into her throat, and manifested physically as… Yellow rose petals.  _ Typically _ , she would cough up red rose petals, or another flower--yellow rose petals… Yellow rose petals were a first.

She raised her head, looking at Blake’s expression; she didn’t even have to think about it, that one look was all that she needed to know.

Blake had pieced everything together. She knew Blake had read enough romance novels, had read enough in-general, to know about hanahaki. About how serious it was. Blake had  _ surely  _ read the romanticization of it, the fantasy versions, about the procedure that would remove it, but also take the feelings away...

“Ruby, you… You need to talk to her.” She spoke as softly as she could, her voice shaking, as she continued to rub her back.

“I know, but I just. Don’t think she’d want to date me.”

“Ruby, I’m pretty sure your only options are to give it a shot, or to just… Have it removed.” Blake shifted her weight slightly, lowering herself to pull the other close. “I know you.” Her tone lowered, and it somehow got even softer. “I know you don’t want to have it removed, so please--”

“I know, I know if I don’t try, then, then I might just die from it--” Ruby blurted out, holding her tears back as hard as she could. “I don’t want that, obviously! But I’m scared, and if it’s not the right time, then--and plus, I can’t talk to her about this, I can’t even mention it, what if I accidentally guilt her into a relationship, what if--”

“I’m not saying to tell her about this.” Blake interrupted the beginning of Ruby’s panicked rambling. “I’m saying that you should at least ask her out, and then go from there.”

She was right.

Ruby blinked--Blake had managed to keep her composure through her own shaky tears, through Ruby’s outburst, and through the stress of this whole ordeal… And she was entirely right.

A date with Penny…

She wanted to. She wanted to ask, she wanted to go on one.

But… It was probably too soon to ask for that. Despite knowing her for years… Ruby was worried that it was too soon to ask Penny on an actual date.

She pulled her phone out of her pajama pockets, and looked down at the unread message.

Received: 11 minutes ago.

From: Penny

_ Ruby! I know you’ve been asleep all day, but I just wanted to check on you! I hope you’re feeling better. I hope the doctor can help you on Friday. _

Ruby couldn’t help but smile a bit, her thumbs circling each other briefly over the keyboard as she thought of a response.

_ If they can’t or won’t do something, then I’m just gonna find a new doctor!!! _

She felt bad for lying--there was nothing the doctor  _ could  _ do, except remove it, and she was going to reject that until she knew for a fact what her situation was… But this was the only way she could cover for herself.

She thought for a second--she and Penny always multi-messaged each other…

_ Maybe after that, if you want to go see a movie? As a date? Or something?? Maybe???? _

She hesitated, her finger lingering over the ‘send’ arrow.

And she backspaced it, deleting the entire message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penny and Ruby get to interact more next chapter... I promise!


	5. Chapter 5

Wednesday morning… It was refreshing--or, at least, it was refreshing to Ruby. She had fallen asleep, her phone left on silent, and her new book clutched tightly to her chest.

She felt better than she had felt in the past few days--the past  _ week _ , really, when she had finally realized her feelings. When it all actually hit her, literally taking her breath, as well as her peace of mind.

She checked her phone--nothing from Penny, except their typical ‘goodnight’ messages--so, she figured that she would be the first to text. She stayed in bed, curled up on her side with the book still clutched to her chest--despite having read it at least three times the night before--and texted with one hand.

_ Good morning!!! _ 💕💖💞💖💖💕

It didn’t take Penny long to respond, a simple, but eager ‘ _ Good morning, Ruby! _ ’

Ruby smiled, staring at her screen for a few minutes, before pushing herself up and stretching her arms out with a yawn. “Aw, geez… I really don’t wanna miss out on seeing her today.”

_ One day, someone’s gonna catch me talking to myself… _ She thought, looking around her empty room.  _ It’s just me, the plushies, and the books, though… So. _

Ruby picked her phone back up, sending Penny another message.

_ I’ll be there today! I promised that I would see you today… I’m not going back on that! _

And, once that message was sent, she tossed her phone back onto the pillow, and made her way to the shower.

Wednesday.

Friday was the appointment.

Ruby, fully dressed and out of the shower, pulled the towel from around her neck to her face and groaned loudly into it.

It’s not that she  _ didn’t  _ want Penny to go to the doctor with her…

Just…

_ Penny might find out. Or notice something. _

She didn’t want to  _ lie  _ to her--she had decided that if Penny were to find out that Ruby had Hanahaki… She would come clean. She would confess on the spot, and explain why.

She didn’t want to risk Penny thinking that it was because of someone else.

It worried her, though. One of the same anxieties that had plagued her before bubbled up in her chest-- _ what if Penny tries to lie? What if Penny pretends to love me, just so I don’t have to remove it? Or something like that? _

She thought twice, trying her damnest to reassure herself-- _ Penny wouldn’t lie, not about that. She understands keeping secrets. She trusts me. I should trust her. _

Feeling the slightest bit reassured, Ruby looked at her face in the still slightly-fogged mirror, and gave her cheeks a light smack. “Okay, Ruby… Friday’s gonna come and go, and it’s gonna go smoothly. Okay?”

She nodded at herself in response, a quiet ‘m-hm’ catching in her throat as her grin returned, along with her confidence.

The bells to the shop door jingled, announcing the arrival of someone, and prompting Ruby’s typical greeting: a simple, but friendly, “Hey! Let me know if you need anything!”.

Instead of the normal responses (being ignored, a mumbled answer, or any variation of “thanks”), she only heard a surprised gasp, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing towards the counter.

Penny. 

She didn’t even get to the counter before she let out an excited shout. “Ruby!”

“Oh, Penny, I-- _ oof _ !” Ruby was pulled, over-the-counter, into a hug. Penny’s arms locked around her neck, and her hips pressing uncomfortably against the counter. “Penny… If you wanted a hug, you… Could have come behind the counter.” Ruby made a quiet pained noise, but hugged the other in return.

“Sorry!” Penny pulled back, her hands lingering on Ruby’s shoulder for just a moment.

Warm… Her hands were still warm, where she had been outside. They felt comforting and gentle against Ruby’s already-chilled-by-the-AC skin.

“You’re freezing! Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should put on a jacket… You have one that you left here, right? Just in case it ever started to rain, and you forgot one?” Penny continued, reaching out to touch Ruby’s arms again.

“Nono, I’m okay! I swear!” Ruby laughed, a hint of anxiety breaking through. “I promise, really, it’s just where I’ve been in here with the AC going on.”

“Oh! Right…” Penny smiled brightly at her, releasing her arms once more and moving behind the counter to join Ruby. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Ruby held her arms out to Penny for a proper hug.

Nobody was in the shop right now, so what did it even matter?

Penny accepted the hug, squeezing Ruby and swaying with her happily. “Oh, I missed you so much! Yang is wonderful and all, but she could never compare to my best friend!”

_ Best friend. Ah. _

Ruby quietly wished “girlfriend” was what Penny could say, instead, but…

She was happy to have earned the title of Penny Polendina’s  _ best  _ friend. Overjoyed, really.

She just wished that the hanahaki would accept that.

She coughed lightly--not feeling anything welling up in her chest. Maybe it wouldn’t bother her as terribly today?

She could only hope.

“Okay, Penny. Since we’re back together, are you ready to get to work?”

“Pos-i-tively!” Penny said with a salute.

There was just something about how Penny broke words up sometimes, the inflection that she used, that made the corners of Ruby’s lips curl up in an endearing smile.

She found it precious, it pulled at her heart and she couldn’t help but look away as Penny enthusiastically started to reorganize the premade bouquets with such care.

As always, Ruby felt petals rising in her throat, and she hurried herself to the backroom, once again, where she found herself throwing up pink camellia petals.

The night ended without another incident, though, Penny was still _extremely_ concerned for Ruby’s health, though.

And Ruby understood that. She  _ completely  _ understood--she would be worried to death, too--whether it were Penny, Yang, Blake, or anyone else. Who wouldn’t be concerned if their best friend seemed totally fine one minute, and then was suddenly ill and miserable? Anyone would be.

Penny spoke up, her eyes trained on the other as she locked the door, giving the keys a final jingle before putting them in her backpack. “Ruby?”

“Yeah?” She looked over at Penny, another smile tugging at her lips. “Everything okay?”

“I just wanted to offer to walk you home, that’s all!”

Ruby blinked, her words catching in her throat--she felt as though she had been caught completely off-guard. Blindsided.

_ It makes sense, _ Ruby thought to herself, trying to process exactly what she could say in response.  _ She’s worried about me. It’s just to make sure I get home in one piece. _

“Ruby?” Penny quizzically tilted her head, looking at the other with concern warping her expression.

“O-oh,” Ruby laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “Sorry, I just--I was thinking, and… Yeah, you can walk me home?” She could feel a bit of heat rising to her cheeks, and she thanked every star in the sky that it was too dimly-lit for Penny to notice.

Probably.

“Fantastic!” Penny clapped her hands together, smiling brightly at the other. After a moment, she linked her arm with hers, earning a startled gasp from Ruby. “Oh, is this--are you comfortable with this?”

“Yeah! I was just sorta caught off-guard.” Ruby grinned, lightly patting Penny’s hand.

She gulped, anxious, worried that the petals might well up in her throat again. Might well up because she thought about holding Penny’s hand. Might come up because of their constant physical contact. Might--

“Once I leave,” Penny broke Ruby’s ridiculous, sprawling train of thought. “I’ll be sure to text you often! And then I’ll tell you when I’m home, as-always!”

“Thanks,” Ruby smiled hesitantly at her--something about the way the streetlamps they passed reflected in her eyes just… Made Ruby’s heart skip a beat, it made her breath hitch. “You know I worry about you until you get home.”

“Neither of us live too terribly far from the shop, so I don’t see the need for it. I’m totally able to protect myself.”

“Pf,” Ruby couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You know I am, too, though.”

“Yes! You are! However… It never hurts to spend time with friends, right?”

The two talked and laughed loudly on their way to Ruby’s home, arms linked tightly together as they sometimes swayed and bumped hips, neither one of them fearing the night or what might lurk within it; they only parted and turned to face each other when they reached Ruby’s doorstep.

“Well, we’re here!” Ruby said, spinning around on the step so that she could face the other. “Thanks for walking me home, I… I really appreciate it.”

“It was nothing!” Penny said, as bright as always. Though, her expression grew serious and, once again, twisted with worry as she reached out to take Ruby’s hands. “But… Ruby? You would tell me if there was something seriously wrong… Right?”

Ruby’s mind blanked. She hadn’t processed a word of that, her face--visibly red to the tips of her ears in the bright porchlight--was shocked, confused, and absolutely horrified.

_ She’s holding my hands, I should be happy, I--I have to say something, oh, God-- _ “Really, if--” Ruby swallowed hard. “If there was something super wrong, I would tell you.” She felt Penny squeeze her hands. Her thoughts became more erratic.

Penny leaned forward, inching her face closer to inspect Ruby’s. “Promise…?”

“I promise, I’ll be okay--” Ruby tried to squeeze her hands in response, to try and reassure her further--but the moment was ruined, not just by her own panic, but by the hard choking sensation that, unfortunately, welled up in her throats, cutting off her access to air.

She pulled back as quickly as she could, fumbling her way inside, and shutting the door without a further word as she coughed up flower petals, into her hand.

She couldn’t see what they were in the dimly-lit living room, and she didn’t care.

“S-Sorry, Penny, sorry,” She leaned back against the door, her head colliding with it, making a quiet thunk. She hoped she was speaking loud enough for the other to hear. “I really, really do promise, though… I’m fine. I’ll be okay. We’re going to the doctor soon, remember?”

“Alright, Ruby… I…” Penny trailed off--it sounded like she started to say something, but Ruby couldn’t make it out. Maybe she just couldn’t hear.

A part of her  _ desperately  _ hoped that Penny would say that she loved her.

“What’s that?” Ruby asked hoarsely.

“I’m here for you.”

_ I got my hopes up… _

And, naturally, Ruby was thrown into another one of her coughing fits.

Ruby showered once again, just to keep herself awake long enough to message Penny until she got home--plus, after that last coughing fit, she felt that it would help her unwind considerably, anyway.

When she knew Penny was near, she tucked herself in, and kept her phone at its max brightness, on, in front of her face, switching between social media and texting Penny.

After their typical “goodnights”, she drifted into a heavy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates *might* get a little slow from here-on-out! Personal stuff and all, y'know?  
I'll try to update often. I do like that I've been able to update this so frequently... It feels... Nice?
> 
> Chapter 6 is in the works!
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! As the fic's endnotes say, you should totally check out my tumblr/maybe send a fic request! :D


	6. Chapter 6

Ruby… Never remembered much about her mom, due to her very young death. She had a few details down-pat, but in her mind,  _ Yang  _ was always the one to take care of her; Yang patched her up if she ever scraped her ankle, Yang baked and cooked often, Yang comforted Ruby when she was scared or upset--but that never stopped Ruby from having occasional dreams about her mother.

Sometimes, she would wake up normally--it wouldn’t bother her too terribly much. She couldn’t shrug it off, but she could push it to the back of her mind, talk to Yang about it later, and move on.

Other times, it hit her hard--it would hit her like a freight train, either before her alarm went off, or right as her alarm did go off. She would wake up with tears on her face, a pit in her stomach, and a hole in her heart--sometimes she would remember the dream, other times, she would only wake with the vague feeling of  _ I miss mom _ .

So, when she sat in the chair at her mother’s funeral and looked over to her left, only to see her mother, also dressed in black, but with a soft, bittersweet smile on her lips and a furrowed brow, Ruby knew  _ exactly  _ what kind of dream she was going to have.

She was aware of it being a dream, but that didn’t mean she could influence it in any way. Lucid dreaming didn’t always work out how you wanted it to, and she, quite honestly, was  _ awful  _ at it.

Her mother gave a small nod, and Ruby realized: it was only the two of them in the whole room. The chairs were empty, and the only things that remained were the decorations, the casket, the two of them, and the sunlight filtering in through the back windows of the room.

_Can I still talk?_ Ruby thought to herself. She opened her mouth to, at the very least, attempt, but Summer stopped her.

“My baby…” She said softly, pulling her close--it felt so real, it felt so warm--Ruby nearly started crying on the spot as her arms found their way around Summer. “I’ve missed you, you know?”

Ruby nodded, burying her face deeper into Summer’s shoulder as she mumbled, thankfully, in control of her own voice and movements. “I miss you, too, mom…”

Summer pulled back, her hands lingering on Ruby’s arms; her smile had faded, and her expression replaced by pure dread and concern. “I love you. You know that? So, please, listen to me when I tell you that you don’t have too much time.”

“Mom, what?” Ruby whispered, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes.

Summer took her daughters hands in her own, and Ruby almost melted at the warmth that she had forgotten. “Talk to her  _ soon _ \--tell her how you feel.  _ Please _ .” Desperate tears brimmed her eyes as she leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to Ruby’s forehead.

And just like that, Ruby was ripped from the dream--she didn’t jolt upright, or jump, she only awoke with a quiet gasp, and a damp sensation staining her cheeks--not to mention, her own feelings of uneasiness and loss.

“What?” She whispered hoarsely to herself, sitting upright in her bed and bringing the back of hand to wipe the tears that stuck to her face. “Why…”

She drew a shaky breath, and immediately lost it in a fit of sobbing and shaking--she kept herself as quiet as she could, pulling one of her thicker blankets up to cover her mouth. She didn’t want to risk waking Yang--or bothering her with one of her dreams.

Ruby didn’t know how long she had spent crying--she didn’t look at her phone beforehand--plus, who times their crying sessions, anyway? Once she regained a sliver of her own composure, she shakily reached for her phone.

The brightness was almost  _ unbearable _ , and she cursed herself for having set it to max alongside her bright-colored lockscreen.

_ Penny, im not okay _

Her normal typing style meant  _ nothing  _ to her right now. She didn’t have it in her to try and keep it together.

She hesitated after seeing the time, but she hit send nonetheless and started typing again.

_ Can we talk soon? Please _

A part of her silently thanked everything for autocorrect and auto-caps.

Read: 3:36am.

She didn’t process it at first--hell, she thought that, maybe, Penny opened her phone just to get the notification off-screen and put her phone on do-not-disturb.

Until she saw the typing bubbles.

_ Ruby?? What’s wrong? _

_ It’s complicated and i don’t know how to say it over text, i guess??? _

Ruby hesitated, her thumbs circling themselves again as she thought of double-texting.

She started typing once again.

_ I just. I love you, and I want to be your girlfriend, and-- _

Penny was typing; Ruby backspaced. Penny stopped typing. A moment, one that felt like an eternity, passed, and Penny started typing again.

_ It’s okay. Tell me whenever you’re ready. You’re my best friend, I love you, and I’m here for you, no matter what. _

A small, slightly sad smile curled on Ruby’s lips; the reassurance meant the world to her, it really did.

She just… Didn’t know if she could do it.

Penny started typing again.

_ If you want to talk to me about it tomorrow, we can talk before or after work? _

Ruby wanted to laugh--she knew that, regardless of Penny’s response, she wouldn’t be able to continue work for the day if she tried talking to her  _ before  _ it started.

_ After, please _

_ Sure thing! (: I can stay up to text you more, if you need me to? _

_ No, you can go back to sleep… Thanks a ton, Penny. _

_ Promise you’ll message if you need me? At any point? _

_ I promise. _

Ruby tossed her phone back down next to her pillow, flopping herself back and holding an arm over her eyes as she tried to compose herself further--slowly drawing in breaths, exhaling just as slowly, counting to ten, thinking about literally anything that might take her mind off of the dream she had.

Maybe it was a warning, maybe, somehow, her mom had come back from the dead in dream-form to warn her that this would kill her sooner than she expected.

Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe her anxiety was kicking itself into overdrive, giving her realistic-feeling dreams and ominous messages from her long-dead mother.

Regardless of what it was--an anxiety dream about the doctor’s appointment, or some spirit coming to give Ruby an unnerving, vague warning, Ruby couldn’t shake it. She couldn’t shake the way that her mother’s tone shifted, how sad, heartbroken, and worried that she looked in the dream, she couldn’t shake how vivid it was--she could barely remember her mother in the waking world, and yet, she saw her so clearly, so perfectly, in the dream.

And now, thanks to her reaction to  _ whatever  _ that dream was, she had to make a choice:

She had to either confess her feelings to Penny, or she had to hide them even longer, and talking to Penny about something else serious.

She eventually fell back asleep, having nothing but anxiety-driven dreams for the rest of the night--none of which, unfortunately, had any soft, though sad, appearances from her mother.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> s,,,slight emeto (but not rly) warning. figured i would mention it!
> 
> she doesn't actually *throw* up, but she thinks she might.

Having nothing but anxiety dreams, waking up to stress, going back to sleep to stress, all night will do a little more than mess with someone; Ruby’s head throbbed, and she felt incredibly ill when her alarm went off.

A part of her thought about skipping work, or going back to bed and sleeping in--she hoped to forget last night, but the nausea that had set in her stomach, and the heaviness that had settled on her eyelids wouldn’t let her.

She groaned, sitting up and pressing her palm as hard as she could into her forehead--a mild attempt at alleviating the ache. “Why won’t it just go awayyy,” She whined softly to herself, slowly rocking herself back and forth.

_ I’m gonna have to take some medicine, at this rate…  _ She thought to herself.  _ What’s even good for both of these things? Geez. _

She silently thanked herself for waking up when she did--it gave her a chance to combat how ill she felt, try to eat, and to try and work through her nerves, maybe find a script for what she was going to say to Penny later.

Penny…

She slowly removed her hand from her forehead, looking down at her phone and tapping the screen on.

One unread message from Penny.

It wasn’t anything especially--it was just the normal “good morning” message.

It did, however, _always_ mean the world to Ruby.

Without fail, whoever woke up first would send a “good morning” message to the other, and whoever went to bed first would send a “goodnight” message--and they texted on and off throughout the day (if they weren’t spending time together, or at the shop)--and it had been like that ever since they met.

Ruby responded, and then left her phone on her pillow--on charge, since she had forgotten to plug it back in after her first awakening throughout the night.

Once her phone was set, she slowly rose, stretched--trying to restore a semblance of comfort in her aching, exhausted body--and slipped into the bathroom to try and prepare for the day.

“Hey, sis--oh, oh wow,” When Ruby stepped into the kitchen, dressed comfortably, but unable to mask her pure exhaustion and stress, Yang couldn’t help but stop focusing on the food she had on the stove, and stare at her. “Damn, holy shit--did. Did you not sleep well?”

“ _ Nope _ ,” Ruby slumped down at the kitchen table, folding her arms on the hard surface and burying her face in them. “When’s breakfast gonna be done? I took some medicine, and I’m worried that if I don’t eat soon, the nausea’s gonna get worse…”

“Sh--” Yang, startled by the reminder that the stove was on, she had eggs in the pan, and she had been  _ extremely  _ focused on Ruby, quickly turned herself back around, and her attention back to the frying pan in front of her. “Shit, thanks, sis--I nearly forgot.”

Ruby could only offer her a thumbs up and a quiet groan.

“You can’t handle loud noises right now, huh?” Yang said softly, nudging Ruby’s arms out of the way with a plate. “Here’s your food. Biscuits, gravy, and scrambled eggs.”

“I really can’t.” Ruby murmured, picking up her fork and starting to dissect her meal. Yang had made sure that the only things coming into contact with each other were the biscuits and gravy--with the gravy carefully drizzled over the two biscuits.

“Alright, cool--I’ll be right back? I’m gonna just go and get Blake, then. I’m not gonna shout and make your headache worse.” She tousled Ruby’s hair as softly as she could before leaving her alone in the room.

Ruby was slow about eating--maybe it was the exhaustion that had made her senses foggy, and her reflexes slow, maybe it was the fact that her mind had hyperfocused on trying to come up with a script for what exactly she should say to Penny later.

_Do I just… Ask her out on a date? Do I tell her that I love her? What if it ruins our friendship, what if--_ She dropped her fork on the plate, her head throbbing with the loud clank that it made, as she covered her mouth, coughing up more flower petals.

“Ruby?” Yang, her voice shaking ever-so-slightly, rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, straight to her sister’s side. She had a hand on her back, rubbing and patting softly, a worthwhile attempt at soothing Ruby as she spit the petals up and scraped them out of her hand and into the floor.

“ _ Bwegh, _ this is awful…” Ruby murmured; she silently thanked herself that she hadn’t actually thrown up this time, that it was  _ only  _ petals--losing breakfast was the last thing she wanted or needed right now.

“Is she alright?” Blake had poked her head into the kitchen, slipping in after a moment to join Yang’s side. She softened her voice, her worried eyes locked on Ruby. “Want me to get you anything? A washcloth, maybe?”

Ruby nodded in response, sending her away briefly. When she came back, Ruby immediately took the cool cloth and wiped her mouth off before pressing it to her forehead. “Thanks, you guys.” She said hoarsely after a moment.

“We’re here for you, alright? Seriously, Ruby…” Yang ruffled her hair again, allowing the room to grow quiet while Ruby slowly calmed herself enough to try and eat again.

“Alright, you guys, I’m heading out!” Ruby called from the front door; minus her anxiety, after what happened at breakfast, she felt considerably better. Maybe the medicine kicked in to help with her headache, maybe the good food soothed her just a bit--regardless, her brain wasn’t hellbent on thinking about the talk with Penny later, and she was able to put her normal, cheerful face back on as she headed out.

_ It’s gonna be okay. _ She reassured herself, walking briskly on her normal path.  _ Everything’s gonna be just fine. _

She knew what she was going to do, she had it all planned out--the only thing that she couldn’t, of course, plan for, was Penny’s reaction.

She did, however, have a backup plan for in case her first plan fell through.

She was going to tell her about her feelings somehow--not the hanahaki, she didn’t want that to be brought up  _ at all _ \-- _ just  _ her feelings.

She just… Didn’t want to risk swaying her heart, and Penny pretending to love her.

That isn’t something Penny would do, Ruby didn’t think, but… The thought of it still made her uneasy.


	8. Chapter 8

_ Just get to the shop, set up, and have some time alone to think about what I’m going to do, _ how _ I’m going to do this… _She thought to herself. The concept of being entirely alone in a building made her relax a little--she could think aloud, babbling to herself and talking herself in circles, pumping herself up and getting herself mentally and emotionally prepared.

Unfortunately, as she approached the shop, Ruby could see a figure sitting on the bench next to the front door--it was a girl with short, curly red hair, looking down at her phone.

It was, of course, Penny.

_ She never mentioned getting here early… _Ruby thought to herself, picking up her pace to reach Penny sooner.

“What are you--” Ruby was interrupted as Penny threw herself at Ruby, her arms coiling--but not too tightly--around Ruby’s neck in a tight and caring hug. Ruby caught her, her own arms catching Penny at her waist, as she held back the urge to cough.

_ Just allergies, _ She pleaded--she didn’t feel anything come up, but she still silently prayed. _ Please, _ please _ just be allergies, or stress. Stress is okay, too. _

“You look exhausted!” Penny said, raising her head from Ruby’s shoulder to inspect her face rather closely. She pulled her arms back, now touching Ruby’s face as she inspected it. “Did you even sleep after I stopped replying?” She kneaded Ruby’s cheeks between her fingertips lightly.

“Aha, I did,” Ruby responded nervously, a small smile curling on her lips as Penny continued to hold her face in her hands. “What…” She swallowed hard, trying to muster any amount of strength to face the sudden change of plans. “What made you come here early? You don’t have to be here for another thirty minutes…”

“I figured that I would just make sure you were okay before you started working!” Penny took a step back, bringing a bit of distance between the two. “I was worried that you might come in sick, and not be able to handle work too well… So I wanted to be here to support you.”

“Thanks.” Ruby’s smile grew a little bit at Penny’s genuine concern and kindness. _ Maybe some company won’t be too bad, not if it’s her. _She tacked on silently; she still craved the alone time, but this? This would have its own benefits, she was sure of it.

The day was going smoothly, slowly--for a Thursday, at least, but smoothly, nonetheless. The two spent most of their time in the backroom, one only going to the front when the front door’s bell jingled. Most of the prepwork for the day had been done, so… Why not slack off, just for a bit? It had been a rough week, and Ruby felt awful for causing Penny all of the stress she had caused.

“Hey, Penny?” Ruby said, holding a mug of coffee--that had grown uncomfortably cold--between her hands. When Penny looked over, a single pretzel stick stuck between her lips, Ruby gave a nervous smile, and took that as her cue to continue. “I’m thinking of cancelling the appointment for tomorr--”

Before Ruby could even finish, however, Penny brought her hands down on the table, slightly jostling everything that laid on it. We really need to get better tables… Ruby thought, almost drowning out Penny’s sudden urgency. “What? Why? Did something come up--are you feeling better…? I know you didn’t sleep good last night, I think you should keep the appointment, just to be safe!”

“Pfsh, nah, it. Wasn’t? Related to that. I don’t think?” Ruby’s pitch twisted and turned seemingly with almost every word, punctuating her sentences, and absolutely destroying any potential convincing tone that she _ might _have had.

“You don’t sound so sure…”

“Seriously! I mean, if I’m feeling better tomorrow morning,” She laughed nervously, rubbing at her arm. “I can just… Cancel it then?”

Penny opened her mouth, as if to protest further, but instead, she looked down at her bag of pretzels and furrowed her brow. She sighed, it visibly riding on her shoulders, and looked back up at the other. “Well… I don’t think it’s a good idea, but… If that’s what you’re going to do, then I can’t stop you. _ But _ I am going to push you to keep it.”

Another small grin curled on Ruby’s lips, her own brow scrunching together slightly. “I wouldn’t expect you to do anything else.”

As much as I don’t want to let go of these feelings, if she doesn’t like me romantically, then… Her grin faded a bit as she remembered what Yang had said before: _ I don’t want to lose you. _ She knew that, while Yang hadn’t said it explicitly, she meant, _ “I can’t lose you, too.” _

“Ruby…?” Penny had taken her seat once again, but was now leaning over the table to stare at the other’s face, trying to get a read for what she was feeling, what she was thinking. “Ruby?”

“Huh--oh,” Ruby, snapping back to her senses, laughed anxiously again and started to wring her hands. “Sorry, I was just kinda thinking about somethin’ my sister had said? Seriously, I’m okay--no worries!” She forced a bigger smile again, trying her best to convince the other.

“Hm,” Penny stared, seemingly more intensely than before, but only briefly--she slowly leaned back, sticking another pretzel stick in her mouth. “Well… If you insist that you’re okay.”

Silence filled the room again--not awkward, simply… Comfortable. Ruby was comfortable existing in silence with Penny while the two did their own activities--sometimes one would read, and the other would be playing a video game, sometimes they would both be playing games, though it was rare that they would both be reading--regardless of what they were doing, Ruby was content with it. It was peaceful and calming, almost soothing and healing to her over-stressed heart.

After an uncertain amount of time had passed, Ruby looked up from the screen of her game and at Penny, who was very much involved in her own game, and smiled a bit.

She couldn’t help but notice how happy Penny seemed to be, playing the current game that she was--her eyebrows would raise and scrunch at what Ruby presumed to be dialogue and combat decisions, sometimes she would nod at the screen or shake her head, and Ruby found all of it so… Adorable and charming.

Penny seemed to relax--the sure-sign that a fight had ended, and intensity was wavering--when she looked up, Ruby perked up a bit.

“Oh--sorry, I wasn’t staring,” Ruby tried to say. Why would anyone that wasn’t staring say that? She scolded herself silently. “I was just thinking, maybe, after work--we can close early tonight, but,” She was starting to fumble over her own words. “Would you like, there’s a movie playing, and I was wondering if you kinda wanted to go see it?” Her voice pitched up on the tail-end of the sentence; she held her awkward grin and prayed Penny didn’t notice.

Penny stared, almost blankly, at the other--as if taking a moment to process it. After the moment, one that felt like eternity, passed, Penny lit up, nodding with sheer excitement twinkling in her eyes. “Absolutely! I would love to! I think it’s the one I’m wanting to see, too--we’ve both talked about it before! I would love to accompany you!”

Ruby internalized the sigh of relief that she desperately wanted to expel--she grinned back at Penny, more relaxed, and spoke with more confidence. “Heck yeah, okay, sweet! We’ll close around 6:30, sooo that way we can get there on time and get our snacks? Oh, let’s stop by the store before we get there, there’s one kinda close to it, if you don’t mind walking and stuff… I’m gonna guess neither of us wanna pay $4 for cookie dough bites?”

“Nope! Ab-so-lutely not!”

“I’ll go ahead and get our tickets ordered on my phone, so we can just skip dealing with that line and go straight to getting our popcorn?”

“Thank you!”

A date… Ruby had done it. She flubbed almost every word that she wanted to say, but she had asked Penny out.

She felt something welling up in her throat, something uncomfortable and _ choking _\--but she managed to hold her own cough back and keep her smile, though now it had become strained. She was thankful that Penny had gotten herself back into her game, now swaying with excitement. Maybe it was just emotions--fear, anxiety, dread--guilt. She felt uncomfortable guilt combined with the fear--the fear that... If Penny found out, she wouldn't understand that Ruby genuinely did love her. She was worried that Penny would take all of this as just her trying to save herself--but that isn't how hanahaki worked.

She was worried, an anxious mess, that Penny would pretend to love her back. She didn't even know if the hanahaki worked that way--if it would recognize "fake" love. It was a disease triggered by its bearer's emotions--so, it shouldn't. Right? She was still uncertain.

She ordered the tickets, and as soon as she had hit the “pay now” button, the front door to the shop jingled, reminding her that she still had work to do… At least, for another hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, it's definitely probably irresponsible of me, but as of the time this is being uploaded, I don't have a *word* of chapter 9 written. I'll probably start it shortly after this, or maybe in a few days.
> 
> Haha, almost to the end! Almost... One more chapter, and that will be the last--unless I miraculously have some super fluffy inspiration for Penny/Ruby cuddles post-story! Here's hoping for that!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed, and uhh [dabs] y'all know where to find my tumblr!


	9. Chapter 9

“Are you ready?” Ruby said enthusiastically, looking back over her shoulder at Penny as she gave the door to the shop a firm push--just to double-check that it had, in fact, been locked.

“Ab-so-lutely!” Penny replied, just as happy as the other; she clapped her hands together and held them in front of her chest. “It’s a bit of a walk, though, are you--”

“Oh, I kinda figured we would get a lyft, or something? I’ll pay, seriously!” Ruby laughed nervously, already holding her phone in one hand and gently tugging at the bottom of her shirt with the other.  _ I’m gonna stretch this shirt out from stress before the end of the day…  _ She added silently to herself. She didn’t stop herself, she only kept the thought at the forefront of her mind.

“That’s perfect! I didn’t know if you wanted to walk there, or…”

“Well, neither of us really drive, and I think it’d kinda suck to do that--I mean, we could always get Yang to drive us? But I don’t wanna bug her, y’know? We’ll just get dropped off at the store near it, if that’s okay?”

Penny nodded, her cheerful smile never fading, and Ruby thanked whatever god, spirit, or anything else, that she had already ordered the ride--she found herself hopelessly lost, staring at the other almost as deeply and intently as Penny would stare--though she never noticed, her eyes now stuck on her own phone. It was likely that she was telling her father last-second that she would be out a bit later than normal, despite getting off work early.

_ Oh, geez,  _ Ruby thought to herself, snapping back into place while watching Penny’s smile fade slightly--she knew how Penny’s dad was--not necessarily bad, but… Terribly overprotective.  _ Her dad’s probably miffed. Please don’t tell her no, please don’t tell her-- _

“Well! My father’s not too happy about it, but he can’t really stop me. Not when it comes to this. He’s just worried that I’ll be out too late.”

“Psh, it’s fine, tell him I’ll get you a ride home? So you’re not walking at night, like usual?”

Penny’s smile picked back up--likely from relief at not having to deal with a frustrated dad when she got home later. “Alright!”

Ruby herself couldn’t help but smile as Penny lit back up again--and that wide grin wasn’t something she was going to try and hide, not even from the driver that pulled up to the shop to pick the two of them up.

With snacks piled into their bags--Ruby’s small backpack, and Penny’s side-strap purse, Ruby scanned their tickets and made their way to the theater--which, for an overhyped sci-fi movie, was rather empty.

The two sat in the best seats they could, around the center of the room, in the center of the row; and with so few people around, it left Ruby the perfect opportunity to kick her feet up on the chair in front of her.

“Why are you doing that?” Penny whispered, her eyes catching what little light remained in the dimly-lit room; the previews hadn’t started yet, and the lights had yet to fully dim.

“It’s comfy--try it!” Ruby very carefully--as to not knock over the drink in the cupholder between them--knocked her elbow into Penny’s shoulder, urging her to copy. “Really! I promise--we won’t get in trouble!”

“What if someone sits there?”

“If someone tries to sit there, or comes near that row, then we just… Put our feet down? It’s that easy!”

Penny furrowed her brow, as if processing all of that. Ruby wasn’t wrong--it  _ did  _ seem comfortable, and it  _ would  _ be simple to just put her feet down if people wanted to sit there…

So, she threw caution to the wind, kicking her feet up--much to Ruby’s delight--and leaned back a bit in her own seat. “Oh! You’re right, Ruby. This _ is _ comfortable.”

“Yeah! Look at us, we’re living on the edge.” Ruby beamed, cheering Penny on, and, unfortunately earning a rather harsh ‘sh’ from one of the only other theatergoers present. “Oh, come on, we haven’t even started the pre--I mean, sorry!” Ruby couldn’t help but roll her eyes, muttering to herself before offering an apology--probably only earning more scorn from them.

After she twisted herself back around in her seat, she found her face close to Penny’s, both of them sporting big, genuinely happy and excited smiles; after staring at each other, the two couldn’t help but laugh--snorting as quietly as they could, absolutely basking each other’s presence.

The movie went about as they expected--everything was leading up to a mecha fight, and emotions were high--but Ruby’s heart still leapt when, in a deathly silent theater, when the world outside of the screen stood still as someone the main character desperately wanted to save lay dying, she felt something grab her hand, seated on the arm rest.

It was warm, it was gentle, but the grip it had on her own hand was intense.

It couldn’t have been anything else, it couldn’t have been _anyone_ else--

She looked down at the hand, pale fingers now interwoven with hers, still keeping its deathgrip on Ruby’s hand…

And followed the arm back to Penny’s face, Penny, who had started to cry as quietly as she could, occasionally hiccuping.

Ruby had to admit, the scene caused an ache in her chest--the movie itself, of course, but moreso… Penny crying.

_ Is it really hitting her this hard? _ She thought to herself, still staring at her, missing the CPR attempt on the screen  _ entirely _ . She gave Penny’s hand a gentle squeeze, offering any form of reassurance that she could--it’s not like she could put her arm around Penny and pull her close, that would require her moving her hand.

And between this being what Penny chose to cling to--a source of comfort for her--and the fact that something about it made Ruby’s heart flutter… She just… Didn’t want to let go. At all.

Ruby was relieved to hear the character’s voice again, though, it caused Penny’s hand to slacken slightly--much to Ruby’s disappointment. A part of her wanted to continue to grip Penny’s hand, but she eased her own, giving Penny the opportunity to withdraw.

But she  _ didn’t _ .

And that surprised Ruby more than the ‘twist’ in the movie. That surprised Ruby more than the initial grab for her hand.

Penny, now calm, no longer crying, still focused on the movie, was  _ still _ holding her hand.

Ruby could only silently pull her attention away from Penny, directing it back to the movie--well, at least, she could only pull her gaze away from Penny.

.

Her brain had hyperfocused on the warmth shared between their hands; Ruby’s palms had started to get sweaty, maybe from anxiety, maybe from the fact that the theater felt too damn hot, she didn’t know, she didn’t care--the only thing that she could think of was the fact that she was holding hands with the girl that she loved in the theater. What some would call a ‘proper’ date. What others would call just someone needing comfort during an emotionally intense scene, and forgetting where her hand was--leaving it to linger in the other’s.

But Ruby quietly hoped for  _ more _ , that maybe,  _ this _ was Penny’s way of saying that she wanted this to be a romantic date, too. She would be fine--well, maybe not physically, hanahaki would  _ definitely  _ run its course and take its toll if Penny weren’t interested in romance, but she still hoped.

Not just to save her own skin, but because she did genuinely love Penny.

Ruby’s heart leapt a little, fluttering even more when she felt her squeeze her hand again--Penny was aware that she still held her hand. She knew. She didn’t accidentally let it linger there.

Ruby felt tears stinging her eyes--joyous tears--as she returned the squeeze. She could only hope that Penny wouldn’t look over and see her, ready to cry, at the small gesture of affection.

Penny’s eyes remained locked on the cinema screen, and Ruby silently thanked whatever force was watching over her.

The concessions stand had closed itself down before the movie ended, leaving workers behind the dimly-lit counters to sweep the floors and wipe counters--not that it mattered to Penny and Ruby, the only thing that they were missing out on would be a free refill.

“Wanna just kinda walk around before we actually go home?”

“Oh! Sure, but everything is closed, so--”

“It’s okay!” Ruby grinned, taking a few steps ahead of her and towards the door. “If you’re comfy walking around the parking lot, then we can always do that? I just wanna kinda wander and talk for a little bit...”

“Let’s go!”

They made their way into the surprisingly well-lit parking lot--it was across from a small strip mall, some of which still had people inside, no doubt, overstaying their welcomes and frustrating the employees.

“We… Probably shouldn’t go in any of those places, huh?” Ruby said quietly, more of a rhetorical question than anything else.

“Definitely not.”

She nodded--she didn’t expect an answer, but she wasn’t going to complain that her question had gotten a response.

Even if they were still open… They would likely close before the pair even reached them. Though, they had no complaint--they weren’t going to be those last-second customers that just came in, only to hold the workers over.

They were content with the leftover popcorn, shared between them, and the rather empty parking lot. A car here, a car there, ones that they assumed belonged to the workers--and ones that they were definitely staying far away from.

The hype hadn’t died when they left the theater, it hadn’t died when they got out into the decently-cool night air; they were both just as enthused and hyped as they were in the movie.

“But, okay, when she was dying, and she kissed her--I _know_ it was just CPR, but their entire relationship just screamed ‘we’re going to be a couple!’ I’m a little surprised that they didn’t get an actual kiss that wasn’t, y’know, a near-death-experience, but...” Ruby’s babbling trailed off, giving Penny a chance to respond.

“Anyone who saw the movie would notice that they had chemistry.”

“Anyone that actually paid attention, you mean?”

“Yes! Exactly.”

The two were flailing--nearly spilling popcorn--just as much as they had been in-theaters. They weren’t exactly “sit still and silent” movie watchers--they preferred to engage in their own way, by cheering (as quietly as they could when they were in the theater), clapping, gasping… They both preferred to react to what was happening on the screen.

It was fun for them.

But Ruby knew that they were probably the most annoying people in the theater. Did she care? Not really, not this time--anxiety wasn’t going to stop her from having the best time possible.

“Hey, okay, so,” Ruby interrupted her own, continuous infodump--one that Penny was actively engaging in. “I know pirating movies is shady, but! I think--”

“Absolutely!” Penny lit up before Ruby even had a chance to finish. “Do you want to watch it again tonight??”

_ Tonight? _ “Oh, like, at your place, or--”  _ I was thinking more like tomorrow night, but... _

“Oh, no, my father would never let us stay up late without complaint… But, we can--”

_ I want to spend more time with her tonight. _ “My place?”

“Yes!”

“Will your dad really be okay with that, though? Yang’s okay with it, I’m definitely okay with it--Blake's also definitely okay with it…”

“I’ll let him know where I’m staying, and he shouldn’t put up  _ too  _ much of a fuss…”

_ She doesn’t think he’ll put up  _ too _ much of a fuss? Geez, I hope not. It would kinda suck if he woke us up at-- _

Penny’s phone dinged, and she smiled brightly. “He just wants me to text him when we get there, and when we wake up in the morning!”

_ That’s a little controlling… _ Ruby thought to herself. She knew how Penny’s dad was, but it always startled her how… On-top of everything he was.

Regardless, Ruby lit up, taking Penny’s hand into her own on impulse. Penny made a shocked, quiet ‘oh!’ and Ruby looked at her surprised, though pleased expression, and then realized:  _ Huh, I’m holding her hand. _

The two stood in stunned silence; it felt like it went on forever, but it really only went on for a few seconds.

Ruby was the first to leap back, her face flushed red with embarrassment. “Ah! I’m super sorry about that, I--geez, oh, wow,” She laughed awkwardly, nervously. “I am. Super sorry…”

“But. Why?” Penny tilted her head quizzically; she slowly lowered her hand, confusion as to why Ruby would let her go so suddenly written on her face.

“I just… Thought maybe I overstepped a boundary, or something?” Ruby scratched the back of her head, averting her gaze. “I dunno, I just feel like I shouldn’t have done that, maybe.”

“I hold your hands all the time?” Penny reached out, taking Ruby’s hands in her own--they were just as warm as they had been before, though, a little sweatier from anxiety now. “Why do you think that was something you shouldn’t have done…?”

Ruby shivered from excitement--Penny was offering some kind of reassurance that… She hadn’t just done something irredeemably awkward. Penny was holding her hands  _ again _ .

“Ruby?”

It was then Ruby realized she had been silent for an extended period of time. A rather unpleasant amount of time, she was sure.

She opened her mouth to speak, but only coughed up rose petals.

Penny’s eyes widened, and her voice rushed out as she started to panic. “Ruby?” She released Ruby’s hands, reaching out to hold her shoulders as Ruby doubled over, coughing more, now pressing her palms to her mouth to try and get it to stop. “What’s happening?” The sense of urgency increased in her voice, and Ruby, for a moment, thought that she was going to pass out or straight-up  _ die _ \--her vision blurred, and her head swam--

\--But she was brought back to everything as she felt Penny pull her into a tight hug, both of them trembling as they slowly sank to the concrete of the sidewalk.

Ruby’s coughs quietened, and she found herself exhausted, her face buried in Penny’s shoulder.

“You… What’s wrong? Why did that happen?”

Ruby silently thanked whatever force kept Penny from knowing about hanahaki.

“I’ll tell you--”

“Promise?”

“Wait--”

“Promise you’ll tell me?” Penny urged, taking Ruby’s hands again--she didn’t care that Ruby had just coughed something up into them, clearly. She squeezed her hands tightly, her eyes--full of fear--locked onto Ruby’s. “Promise?”

“I do, but just… I wanna tell you something first, okay?” Ruby said hoarsely; tears brimmed her eyes--she wasn’t sure if it was from pain, anxiety of confessing, or if they were just the remnants of her most recent coughing session.

She was absolutely sure that, if she got rejected--not only would she understand, but she would probably end up in the hospital.

Penny nodded, her lip quivering.

“Okay, okay, so,” Ruby drew a shaky breath. “I really, really like you, and I wanted to know if you wanted to be my girlfr--”

Ruby didn’t have a chance to finish the word--Penny practically flung herself into Ruby’s arms, her arms tightly around her neck as she embraced her.

Ruby couldn’t help but be startled, confused for a second, her hands subconsciously finding a place at Penny’s waist.

“I want that!” Penny cried. “I want us to be together more than anything, but I also want to know what’s going on!”

Ruby wasn’t sure if she should be overwhelmed with happiness, or overwhelmed with fear--really, it was a bit of both.

She stayed quiet for a moment--at least, until the silence became overbearing. “I promised I’d tell you,” She said quietly, burying her face in Penny’s shoulder. “But I’m kinda terrified to?”

“It’s okay, though, Ruby.” Penny balled her hands into Ruby’s jacket. “I’m here for you, so… Please, tell me.”

“It’s okay now, but.” Ruby started, rubbing her face against Penny’s shoulder and muffling her words as she spoke. “There’s this thing called Hanahaki? It’s super rare, and it kinda runs in my family. On my mom’s side. It’s over now, it’s… It’s not gonna be a problem anymore.”

She raised her head, staring at Penny’s face and noting the fact that she was still crying.

“I’ll tell you more later, okay? I promise.” She pulled back, taking Penny’s hands again and returning the squeeze from earlier--more gentle, more reassuring. “But can we please go back to my place first? We can get into pajamas and cuddle, and mmmaybe ask Yang to bake us some cookies?” She tried to add a hint of playfulness to her tone--her voice cracked just a bit, but she felt like she pulled it off.

“Okay…” Penny nodded, accepting the terms; she wiped her tears, and a small smile curled at her lips. “I’m very happy, Ruby. I’m worried about you… But I  _ am _ happy.”

“I am, too.”

When they got into the ride that they ordered, they spent the entire time leaned against each other in the back seat, their hands practically locked together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so! with that! thanks for reading, I hope you've enjoyed!
> 
> I really wanna pick up and add on a soft little extra that's just Penny and Ruby fluff, as well as another extra that's just,,,, About Summer Rose? But definitely not rn 0:

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna know how to support me, check my tumblr (@softsnowdrop)! You can also send me asks or short fic requests or smthn.


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